Foreign Languages

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by Carnivore, Jun 13, 2004.

  1. Carnivore

    Carnivore Visitor

    Are any of you fluent or semi-fluent in other languages besides your native one? I don't know why this is on my mind - I'm really bored, I guess. Anyway, I know a little bit of French, although I am far from fluent. Je suis un debutant (I am a beginner). This past school year, I took French 1-2 as a class.

    Perhaps it is just me, but it seems that the importance of knowing other languages isn't stressed enough in America. It seems that a far larger amount of people in Europe know multiple languages than people in the United States. I believe that learning other languages is an important skill to have, particularly when traveling and conversing with people other than the ones who know your native tongue. Foreign language knowledge should be sought for after high school, without a doubt. Too many people don't treat this matter seriously.
     
  2. Miss_Tambourine_Girl

    Miss_Tambourine_Girl Member

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    i know latin pretty fluently and a bit of ancient greek.
    too bad nobody speaks this languages anymore.
     
  3. Hippy_Smurf

    Hippy_Smurf Member

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    It'd be so cool if people did speak Latin and Ancient Greek nowadays...though I guess it wouldn't be called Ancient. Mneh.

    I know a fair bit of French (took a GCSE in it anyway, and I can still speak it) and I'm studying German up to A level, so I'd like to think I know my stuff. I can also use sign language (BSL) up to a basic level and I class that as a 'foreign' language too.

    If the ability to speak more than one language isn't encouraged in America, I'm betting it's a million times worse here. So many times I've heard people say "why do I need to speak a foreign language? Everyone speaks English, I don't need to be able to." It angers me so much, the level of ignorance and arrogance that British people seem to have about this subject. It puts the people who do appreciate the importance of being able to speak a foreign language to shame.
     
  4. beachbum7

    beachbum7 Lookin' for any fun

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    I don't have any idea of what percentages of Americans are fluent in a second language. And that's a fucking shame. There isn't a major emphasis on becoming fluent in several languages in this country because it seems to many that "every in the world knows English," which is far from the truth (Although most Japanese have studied English, most cannot speak it fluently).

    Unfortunately, I'm not fluent in any languages other than English. I know a little French - when I went to France three years ago, I could speak to the folks (but I couldn't always understand them). I'm studying Japanese now, but I'm nowhere near fluent in the language.
     
  5. Roachie

    Roachie Member

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    I can speak Spanish perfectly and just a bit of french...I guess u could say I know 3 languages...but i think that latin and ancient greek are interesting too
     
  6. gesone

    gesone Member

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    I'm pretty fluent in Spanish although my grammar still needs work. I definetely speak it better which to me is the most important thing. I tried French once but found it too difficult...:eek:
     
  7. badassdawickedmoose

    badassdawickedmoose Member

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    I'm fluent in French (well, pretty fluent anyway...), but that's about it. I can get by in Spain because it's mostly the same as French, Catalonian and Portugeese are a bit more tricky, but I can just about manage. I know basic German, but only very basic, and a few words of Italian.
     
  8. Duncan

    Duncan Senior Member Lifetime Supporter

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    I'm fluent in German and Spanish and can understand spoken Yiddish.

    ------------------------------

    Diu et acriter pugnatum est
     
  9. Miss_Tambourine_Girl

    Miss_Tambourine_Girl Member

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  10. BraveSirRubin

    BraveSirRubin Members

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    I'm fluent in Russian (my native language), and am completely fluent in Hebrew, Englsih and Spanish. I can also understand spoken and written Slavic languages (Polish, Ukranian,etc), and Portuguese.
     
  11. Ginge

    Ginge Ye Olde Member

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    Well, as of right now, I'm not fluent in any foreign languages. But I know quite a bit of Spanish (studied it all through middle school and high school), and I'm currently learning to speak Japanese, since I'm more than likely moving to Japan next year. :)

    I think it's beautiful when people can communicate in various languages. I especially can't wait until I'm fluent in Japanese. But that's a LONG way away. Though, personally, Japanese (spoken Japanese) has been much easier for me to learn than Spanish.
     
  12. alex714

    alex714 To the Left

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    nope, i wish i did though

    i had to take french up to grade 9 in school and hated it, i always barley passed
    and i took spanish in grade 12 bc i needed a credit and i never went to class but still managed a B....all ive got is good ol english
     
  13. Mr MiGu

    Mr MiGu King of the Zombies

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    do computer languages count???
     
  14. Duncan

    Duncan Senior Member Lifetime Supporter

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    And you've never kissed a girl !
     
  15. schatzi

    schatzi Member

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    I'm fluent in German, and I'm getting better in French
     
  16. joe

    joe Banned

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    I speak Spanglish

    Its spanish but with a couple english words thrown in, its very common speaking in some parts

    I can speak spanish, but listening to someone else say it confuses me, i can read and write some spanish but i have to really concentrate
     
  17. schatzi

    schatzi Member

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  18. daytripper

    daytripper Member

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    English. :) I don't speak it fluently, but I write a lot. All my lyrics and poetry are in english. I'm from Brazil so, I speak Portuguese.
     
  19. Hippy_Smurf

    Hippy_Smurf Member

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    What what what what what? If he was in England it'd be different I can tell you that!
     
  20. BraveSirRubin

    BraveSirRubin Members

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    Till today :p (just came back from a wonderful date)... ( i have kissed girls before, but those were drunken idioticies that did not mean anything... so i just do not aknowledge them)... today meant something :)
     

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